Blunt Traumatic Cardiac Rupture: Single-Institution Experiences over 14 Years

BACKGROUND: Blunt traumatic cardiac rupture is rare. However, such cardiac ruptures carry a high mortality rate. This study reviews our experience treating blunt traumatic cardiac rupture. METHODS: This retrospective study included 21 patients who experienced blunt traumatic cardiac rupture from 1999 to 2015. Every patient underwent surgery. Several variables were compared between survivors and fatalities. RESULTS: Sixteen of the 21 patients survived, and 5 (24%) died. No instances of intraoperative mortality occurred. The most common cause of injury was a traffic accident (81%). The right atrium was the most common location of injury (43%). Ten of the 21 patients were suspected to have cardiac tamponade. Significant differences were found in preoperative creatine kinase–myocardial band (CK-MB) levels (p=0.042) and platelet counts (p= 0.004) between the survivors and fatalities. The patients who died had higher preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale scores (p=0.007), worse Trauma and Injury Severity Scores (p=0.007), and higher Injury Severity Scores (p=0.004) than those who survived. CONCLUSION: We found that elevated CK-MB levels, a low platelet count, and multi-organ traumatic injury were prognostic factors predicting poor outcomes of blunt cardiac rupture. If a patient with blunt traumatic cardiac rupture has these factors, clinicians should be especially attentive and respond promptly in order to save the patient’s life.